Thursday, July 25, 2013

As some
of you already know from reading my blog, I fully believe in The Law of
Attraction. I don't always remember to stay focused on positive things, or to
be grateful, but I try. And when I keep these things in mind, good things come
my way. That's all the proof I need.

The Law
of Attraction is a universal law that basically says what you think about, you
bring about.

Most
people understand the concept of thinking positive thoughts or focusing on what
they want in a positive way. Like daydreaming about a great relationship,
money, success, or a perfect pet.

However,
most people don't realize how powerful thinking/visualizing the achievement of
those goals can be. (Always focus on the end result.) This is not only true for
bringing about big changes, but for making everyday life a little easier too.

It's
WAY too easy to let negative thoughts run amuck in your subconscious. The
result being that your day is filled with ups and downs like crazy rather than
flowing smoothly.

Take
these thoughts for example:

Oh, I
hope I don't see my mother-in-law today. I hate that bitch.

Why
does it have to rain every time I get a day off?

I can't
stand going to the doctor, it's never anything good.

Do I
really have to go to the family reunion? I'll just look fat in all the
pictures.

These
are only a few examples of thoughts that might make life more hectic than it
needs to be.

Whether
these thoughts are caused by personal experience, or listening to others, when
you subconsciously accept an idea, it becomes a real belief for you. Even if
it's as simple as "always looking fat in pictures."

People
walk around thinking negative things and guess what, their days play out
exactly as they expect them to, filled with unnecessary drama. As I once told a
friend of mine, "If I want drama, I'll go to the f***ing theatre."

The
thing to remember is that NONE of the above statements (or the ones that you
constantly tell yourself) are true. Basically, your life doesn't have to suck.
LOL You have the power to create your life (each day) as smoothly as you can
imagine. You only have to be aware of your thoughts.

This is
where visualization comes in.

Picture
your day (mentally plan it out) going as smoothly as possible. See yourself
getting a good report from the doctor, or having a NICE conversation with that
abrasive mother-in-law, etc.

The
first step is to become aware of the negative thoughts that you have throughout
the day. Most of the time, these are automatic. For example, if you hate going
to a certain store because the clerk is an ass, or you are ALWAYS late for work
when it rains, you need to make a note of that negative thought. You don't
literally have to write it down, just become aware of always assuming the
worst.

Next
you need to understand that those negative thoughts are not a fact. Whatever it
is, it doesn't have to play out the way you fear, even if it has before. You
have the ability to change anything you want.

Last,
you need to imagine what you DO want to happen and know with absolute certainty
that it will happen just as you imagine it will.

Personally,
I'm still working on the million dollars. LOL However, I've had lots of luck
with smaller things.

Here is
a recent example. I LOVE designer purses. Unfortunately, at this stage in my
career, I do not have a designer budget. YET. So, what was I really wanting? An
awesome Juicy Couture purse. I decided to go on ebay and as a visualization exercise,
I started shopping for purses. I wanted to see what was out there and get a
better idea of what I really wanted.

After a
week of seeing great purses go for $150 and up, I was a little disappointed. My
budget was only about $30 or less. And that had to include shipping. After
being outbid several times I decided to start really imagining having that
purse. I saw it sitting in my bedroom. I imagined coming in from the store and
placing my Juicy Couture purse on the counter. As I went to sleep that last
night, I even played out a conversation in my head. I was telling my best
friend all about what an amazing deal I got and how the purse was EXACTLY what
I wanted. But most of all, I was GRATEFUL for that purse as if it was already
mine.

The
very next day, I did a new search for Juicy Couture purses on ebay. A purple
one showed up that was "to die for." Have I mentioned that
purple is my favorite color? Anyway, I waited until 15 minutes was left and
placed my maximum bid. Within the hour I was texting my friend and having
almost the exact conversation I imagined.

Today
my purse arrived in the mail. I couldn't be more thrilled. Oh, I almost forgot
the best part. I got the purse for $26!! Shipping and all.

I have
seen this happen with other things in my life and i try to remember to imagine
how I want things to play out, not how I fear they will.

This
has made a huge difference in my life. I am so much calmer than I used to be
and most days, everything goes smoothly. For example, I'm two months
ahead of schedule on my writing projects, and within 5 pounds of my ultimate
weight loss goal.

Every time I see someone who has a great body, rather than be
envious, I am deeply grateful for my own beautiful body. (Just like I was with
the purse.) I've been doing this for months now (long before my body resembled
anything "beautiful.") and it IS working, almost effortlessly.

So,
start using your imagination and the power of gratitude to bring about what you
really want out of life. Not every day is perfect for me, but I sure as heck
have more good days than bad and more awesome days than anything else.

You
will be amazed once you put this into practice. The more often you do it, the
more often it works. Plus, the more you see The Law of Attraction at work, the
more you will believe it can work.

Trust
me. I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn Express or anything, but I have seen this
work in my own life.

Friday, July 12, 2013

There are many misconceptions flying around out there about self-publishing. Yes, I've talked about these at length before. However, there are many people who are still very much in the dark when it comes to self-publishing. Unfortunately, everyone who self-publishes gets thrown into the general category of "hack." While there are many of these out there, not all who self-publish deserve this harsh and often hurtful label.

In particular, I'd like to clear the air about my own work.

1. I CHOSE to self-publish. I was not forced. I was not rejected over and over again by larger companies. In fact, I have several books with traditional publishers. Not as many as before, but that is because I CHOSE to cancel those contracts as they reached their expiration dates. I'm not saying this to brag, but I did not have any difficulty finding a publisher. There is also one that I plan to continue working with as I have learned a lot from them.

2. I do not turn out poorly edited/slapped together pieces of crap. Different patterns of speech and spelling variations are not errors. I'm not saying this to be a jerk, but I'm good at what I do. (Everyone should be able to feel this way about their work.) I have pride in myself and my work. I'm a professional. I look at each book as a product, not simply a creative outlet. Sure, I write because I love it. But keep in mind, this is what I do for a living. I take it seriously. Each of my books is professionally edited, several times by myself, and my writing partner/editor. Even if I write the book in only a few weeks, it will be edited for a month or more.

3. Yes, I do my own cover art. I agree that not everyone should attempt this. I am an artist. Until I did the cover of Frank and The Werewolf Tamer, my talents were used for my entertainment alone. I can't see paying someone to do work that I enjoy and can easily do myself.

4. I'm not some nut job who just throws stories together and tries to make a profit. As I've already said, I put a lot of time and effort into what I do. Unfortunately, there are too many people out there who fall into this category and ARE self-publishing.

5. I am not a loser. Ha. Ha. Ha. Seriously, so many people assume this simply because I self-publish. Good grief.

6. I earn 70% on most sales for my self-published titles. Most ebook publishing contracts leave the author with 30-45%. I have bills that need to be paid. I'm a person just like everyone else.

One last thing that is slightly off topic. I am tired of getting spammed by companies (or individuals) trying to sell me some kind of promotional tools. Just because I self-publish doesn't mean I'm stupid. And obviously, I don't have the resources of a large press. Why the hell do I keep getting these types of calls and emails?

So, for the record, if I am interested in a type of promotion or service, I will contact the company or individual. There is no need to call me on my cell or send me strange messages.

With very few exceptions, these are always scams. Sad but true. I have been contacted by a few legit companies. However, I had worked with them before, so it wasn't odd for them to send me a message.

I'm not talking about the emails from places who offer FREE promotion. I love to get those notifications. LOL Those of you who have also been spammed know what I'm talking about.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

I am officially caught up for a short while. To be more precise, I'm about 2 months ahead of schedule with releases and re-releases. My brand new book, is in the hands of my writing partner for edits. I've just finished re-editing Till the Break of Dawn and adding about 3,000 words of new content. Till the Break of Dawn is finished, formatted, and ready to go. Expect this one the first week in September, 2013.

Book details: Thanks
to a bet with her best friend, Dawn is about to get involved with the undead
love of her life for the second time. So what if he's immortal. It could work,
right? Warning: This book contains graphic sex, graphic language, and one
smoking hot vampire.

I'm about to start working on Three Days of Night. I'm hoping to add content to this one as well. But, that all depends on if the characters have anything new to say. LOL Expect this one in December, 2013, probably the week before Christmas.

Book details: Vivian didn’t have the power nor the desire to
resist the sexy djinn when he said, “Let me give you clarity. For three days
your life will be on pause. The sun will not rise and your ship will not make
port. Everything will appear to continue, only it will not. Enjoy these moments
… Get to know me if you like. These three days are my gift to you. Should you
desire more, all you have to do is ask.” Warning: This book contains graphic
sex (with multiple partners), and graphic language. Oh, and did I mention the
wicked sexy djinn? Yeah, he needs a warning all his own.

I did the cover art on both of these myself. The more I do, the more I love making covers.

I will have more updates soon, and more blog posts. It's summer vacation here and we are enjoying it while we can.

About Me

I write paranormal, sci-fi, and fantasy romance.
I have wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I've written stories for my own entertainment since I was little.
I write what I enjoy in the hopes that others will enjoy it as well. I've always been drawn to the macabre. Vampires, werewolves, you name it.
I've never written about the paranormal because it's popular. I do it because that's what I'm interested in. If the vampire fad ever passes, I'll still be sitting here in my Dracula cape, getting my fang on.